Skip to content
TryHired.
Role hub · Brickmasons and Blockmasons

Mason: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.

The work, the skills that matter, the tools in demand and the pay range, from U.S. government data, plus every TryHired page for the role.

Maid DizdarevicCareer coach · 8x LinkedIn Top Voice
Updated Nov 2, 2026 · Data: BLS OEWS May 2025 · O*NET 31.0
Pay ladder · select a percentile
Median percentile pay

Half of masons earn more than this and half earn less.

Annual
$62,120
Hourly
$29.87
Source
BLS May 2025
Quick answer

Masons lay and bind building materials, such as brick, structural tile, concrete block, cinder block, glass block, and terra-cotta block, with mortar and other substances, to construct or repair walls, partitions, arches, sewers, and other structures. The median pay is $62,120 a year ($29.87 an hour) (BLS, May 2025). The most commonly reported education requirement is a high school diploma or equivalent (70% of workers surveyed by O*NET).

Median pay
$62,120
BLS May 2025
Employed in the U.S.
52,550
BLS May 2025
Preparation
Job Zone 1-2 of 5
very little to some preparation
Most common education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
70% of workers

Data Government data groups this job as Brickmasons and Blockmasons (O*NET-SOC 47-2021.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

Key facts

Masons at a glance

  • Brickmasons and blockmasons in the United States earned a median annual wage of $62,120 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

  • In its 2025–35 employment projections, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for brickmasons and blockmasons in the United States.

    Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35

  • BLS projects employment of brickmasons and blockmasons in the United States to grow 1.1% from 2025 to 2035, with about 4,100 openings a year on average, including replacement openings.

    Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35

  • BLS estimated that 52,550 people were employed as brickmasons and blockmasons in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

Explore the role

Every page for Masons

SalaryMason salary

Pay by percentile, state and metro, with a negotiation script.

Open →How to becomeMason how to become

Education, training and the skills to build first.

Open →Free toolCheck your resume

Parsed text, evidence per bullet, fixes first.

Open →
The work

What masons do day to day

Data Core tasks rated most important by workers in the role (O*NET).

  1. Measure distance from reference points and mark guidelines to lay out work, using plumb bobs and levels.
  2. Apply and smooth mortar or other mixture over work surface.
  3. Calculate angles and courses and determine vertical and horizontal alignment of courses.
  4. Break or cut bricks, tiles, or blocks to size, using trowel edge, hammer, or power saw.
  5. Interpret blueprints and drawings to determine specifications and to calculate the materials required.
  6. Remove excess mortar with trowels and hand tools, and finish mortar joints with jointing tools, for a sealed, uniform appearance.
  7. Fasten or fuse brick or other building material to structure with wire clamps, anchor holes, torch, or cement.
  8. Clean working surface to remove scale, dust, soot, or chips of brick and mortar, using broom, wire brush, or scraper.
Where this career works

Industries that employ it

Data Share of all mason jobs in each industry, 2025 (BLS Employment Matrix).

  1. Specialty trade contractors69.0% of all jobs in this occupation · -0.5% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $67,720
  2. Construction of buildings8.5% of all jobs in this occupation · +1.6% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $74,680
  3. Administrative and support services1.4% of all jobs in this occupation · +1.9% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $57,330
  4. Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals1.2% of all jobs in this occupation · +0.8% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $74,190
  5. Heavy and civil engineering construction0.5% of all jobs in this occupation · +4.6% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $83,170
  6. Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing0.5% of all jobs in this occupation · +28.1% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $56,240

Sources: BLS 2025–35 National Employment Matrix (share of the occupation's jobs, projected change) and BLS OEWS May 2025 industry estimates (mean wage). Different industry estimates are not a pay forecast for any person.

Skills that matter

Ranked by importance to the job

Data O*NET importance ratings. The first three are core.

CoordinationcoreCritical ThinkingcoreOperations MonitoringcoreQuality Control AnalysisTime ManagementActive ListeningSpeakingMonitoringComplex Problem Solving

Knowledge areas: Building and Construction, Mathematics, English Language, Public Safety and Security, Production and Processing, Design.

Tools and technology

Software masons use

Data Examples reported for the role; employer demand flags from O*NET.

  • Construction Management Software ProEstAnalytical or scientific software
  • RISA Technologies RISA-3DComputer aided design CAD software
  • Intuit QuickBooksAccounting softwareHot technology
  • Microsoft ExcelSpreadsheet softwareHot technology
  • Microsoft Office softwareOffice suite softwareHot technology
  • Microsoft WindowsOperating system softwareHot technology
  • CPR Visual EstimatorProject management software
  • Daystar iStructural.comProject management software
  • Estimating softwareProject management software
  • Tradesman's Software Master EstimatorProject management software

Also called: Block Layer, Block Mason, Blockmason, Brick and Block Mason, Brick Mason, Bricklayer.

Method

How this page is built

Tasks, skills, tools, education and related roles come from O*NET 31.0. Pay and employment come from the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. The skill-match score is our calculation: Skill match is the cosine similarity of the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level and subtract the average across all occupations, then compare the direction of the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 means unrelated or opposite (negative values are shown as 0). Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared.

What this page can't tell you
  • How a specific employer defines the job.
  • Pay for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
  • Your own chances: data describes the occupation, not you.
Sources
  1. O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).

How TryHired builds this data: sources, methods and downloads. Spotted an error? Report a correction.